Cotton-compress



R. D. WEBB.

COTTON COMPRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 2, 1918.

1 87,633, Patented Aug. 16,1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET R. D. WEBB.

COTTON COMPRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 191a.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. n. WEBB.

COTTON COMPRESS.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

llllll/ UNITED STATES ROBERT D. WEBB, OF MINDEN, LOUISIANA.

COTTON-COMPRESS.

Application filed February 2, 1918.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that l Ronnn'r D. VEBB, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Minden, county of Vebster, State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Compresses, of which the following is a specification.

In Patent No. 828,002, issued August 7, 1906, to Samuel J. Webb, a compress is de scribed in which a plantation or other bale may be compressed to a high density without turning or shifting the bale, the press being provided with pressure plates which reduce the cross sectional area of the bale prior to compressing it. In that patent the said plates are shown to be pivoted to the frame of the press at opposite sides of the platens and to be operated by means of steam actuated pistons moving in stationary cylinders and connected to the side plates by connecting rods and toggles.

This invention relates to means for operating the pressure plates of cotton cornpresses similar to that described and illustrated in the above mentioned patent, and its objects are, to increase the speed of the press, to reduce the amount of steam or other motive fluid used in operating the pistons, to make the machine simpler, less liable to break, and to avoid and render unnecessary the use of the complicated equalizing devices heretofore used on presses of this type to render the movements of the sine plates simultaneous, and to provide a four-way valve that does not leak and is self-packing.

The invention will be fully revealed in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through a compress, the pipes for conducting the motive fluid to the cylinders operating the side plates being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the upper portion of a compress showin one embodiment of my invention attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a novel four-way valve used to control the passage of motive fluid to and from the side plate operating cylinders;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the valve body taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, the valve plug being removed;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the valve plug;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16', 1921. Serial No. 215,159.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the valve plug taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

The compress will not be described in detail as its construction and mode of operation are fully discussed in the patent to S. J. lVebb before mentioned. As an understanding of its movements is necessary however to completely understand the mode of operation of the present invention, its general features will be now briefly stated.

The frame 10 of the compress supports upon its upper end a main steam cylinder 11, in which a piston 12 is adapted to reciprocate, this piston being connected by means of a rod 13 and other suitable members with the movable platen 14. Securely fastened to the heavy frame is a stationary platen 15 and between the plat-ens l4 and 15 the bales of cotton or other bales are compressed when steam is admitted into the cylinder 11, to raise the piston 12 with its connected mechanism. In the operation of compressing the bale, however, means is provided for reducmg the cross sectional area of the bale and confining the same laterally and this means comprises two side plates 16 and 17 pivoted to a stationary part of the press by pivots 18 at each side of the platen 14.

When a plantation bale is brought to the press it is placed between the widely separated platens l4 and 15 and occupies a position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, resting upon the inner edges of the side plates 16 and 17. Before the platen 14 is moved upward, however, to compress the bale, the side plates 16 and 17 are revolved about their pivoted lower edges to assume vertical positions thereby displacing the cot-ton in the plantation bale and causing it to have a smaller transverse area but a greater height. When the shape of the plan tation bale has thus been altered, it is compressed between the platens 14 and 15 and then tied in the usual manner.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the side plates 16 and 17 comprises toggle links 19, 19, and 20, 20, pivoted respectively to the side plates 16 and 17 at 21, 21 and to cross pins 22, 22, rigidly held at a suitable distance from the frame 10 by means of tie rods 23, 23, and 24, 24, the links 19, 19 and 20, 20. being pivotally connected together at 25, 25. To the pins 25 are connected the lower ends of connecting rods 26 which extend upwardly and are pivoted at their upper ends to cross heads 27 slidably mounted on guides 28 secured to the frame 10. T0 the cross heads 27 are connected the lower ends of the piston rods 29 which extendupwardly therefrom and are secured at their upper ends to pistons 30 operating in the auxiliary steam cylinders 31. These cylinders and pistons constitute the means for actuating the side plate operating mechanism and a motive fluid is supplied to the auxliary Cylinders 31 beneath-the pistons 30, the latter are raised and draw up withthem the crosslpins 25 and hence rotate the side plates 16 and 1.7 to vertical position.

The means for supplying motive fluid to the cylinders will now be: described. The npperends of'the auxiliary cylinders 31 are connected by across pipe or conduit 32 which communicates by means of a pipe or' conduit with one port of a four-way valve 34. The lower ends of cylinders '31 are connected together by means of a pipe or conduit. 35 having a short branch36 communicating with a second port of the fourthe outside air or a way valve 34. The other'ports of the valve are connected respectively to a source of steam supply by means of pipe 37, and to suitable condenser, by means of a pipe or conduit 3 The valve is shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, in which the valve body 39 is shown as having two pairs of opposed openingsso that it closely resembles in exterior appearance the usual, common, four-way pipe connection.

A central cylindrical recess 40, open at one end, extends nearlyithrough the body and four rectangular ports 41, 42, 43 and 44 bring this reccss40 into communication with the four openings inthe casing, the ports 42,43 and 44 being all arranged on one side of a central linethroughthe valve casing, as line 55 of Fig. 4. Mounted for rotation within the cylindrical recess 40.is a cylindrical plug 45 l'iaving the recesses or passages 46 and 47 leaving a comparatively large bearing surface 48 and a comparatively small bearing surface 49 on opposite sides thereof adapted to seat against the walls of the valve body inthe usual manner. This plug 45 is adapted to occupy one of three positions in the operation of the compress. In 4; I have indicatedby means of full and dotted lines these positions. hen, the valvehas been turned to itsfull line position as shown in-this figure, no two of the ports communicate with each other; when it is turned to the dotted position 50 the ports 41 and'42 are brought into communication and also the ports 43 and 44. lVhen'it is turned to the dotted line position 51, the ports 42 and 43 alone communicate, the ports 41 and 44 being closed.

Referring to Figs. 2 :and 3 of the drawing, the pipe 37 is so connected to the valve body 39 that the port 41 is aninletport for the steam coming from the boiler. The pipe 33 leading to the top of the cylinder is connected to communicate with the port 43, the pipe 35 communicating with the port 42, and the pipe 38 communicating with the port 44. Thus the ports 41 and 44 are inlet and exhaust ports respectively, while the ports :42- and .43 maybe either inlet or exhaust ports, depending upon the position of the valve.

ln the operation of the compress, when it is desire'd'to raise the side plates the plug 45-is turnedloy means of a'handle- 52 to occupy the dotted line position 50 connecting the ports 41 and 42, and also 43'and 44 respectivelyyand allowing steamto pass through the valve from the'supplypipe 37 into the pipe 35 and under the pistons '30, which are raised thereby, the steam above-the pistons being simultaneously exhausted through the pipes 32, 33-andports 43 and 44 and pipe 38.

'VVhen it is desired tolowerthe side plates the plug is turned until it occupies the dotted line position .5l of Fig. 24, in which casethe ports 42:a'nd 43 'only are'brought into communication, thereby connecting the tops of the cylinders with the lower ends and cut ting off the inlet and exhaust. When in this position the pressures on the upper and lower sides of the pistons 30 areequalized, the steam passing from beneath the piston through ports 42 and 43 to'top of pistons, and the pistons are freeto drop due totheir own weight and the weight of the attached mechanism, thereby lowering the side plates. The bale of cotton is then removed and a fresh plantationbale placed in the machine andthe' cycleof operations repeated, it be ing understood of course that the movable main platen 1 4 performs theactual compressing ofthe cotton during the time when the side plates are intheir vertical position.

:By connecting" the bottom and top of the cylinder in this manner to lower the pistons and side plates, a considerable saving of steam is effected inasmuch as the pistons fall of their own weight and it'is'not necessary to introduce steam pressure into the cylin' ders above themto drive them down as was the case heretofore. The speed of the machine is also increased-since ifit' were nec essary toexhaust the steam each time from underneath the pistons directly into the open air, these pistons would not begin to fall so quickly and thereby delay the fall of the side plates.

Heretofore in operating compresses of this type ithas been found necessary to introduce live steam into the cylinders above thepistonsiin order to drive themdown quickly, thus using a large amount ofsteam for merely returning-the iside plates to horizontal position, .and when 'thelive steam pressure on the top of the pistons became greater than that beneaththesame, the operation became more or less dangerous, and was likely to cause a bad break and to endanger the operatives. lVith my improved valve and combination of pipe connections described it is impossible to introduce live steam above the pistons and the pressure on the tops of the pistons can never be greater than that underneath, thus making the operation of the machine safe and more economical.

Due to the form of valve used, leakage of steam from the supply pipe to the cylinders is prevented as the ports 42, i3 and 44 are located at one side of an axial plane and the fluid pressure acting in the recess 4:? against the plug forces the same against the inner wall of the body at all times and, as it moves from one position to the other, causes itto firmly seat and thus prevent leakage between the plug and body being thus self packing. This is important also in a machine of this type because it is very undesirable that any steam should leak to the top of the piston when the valve is closed thus allowing the pistons to come down unexpectedly.

With this type of valve also the exhaust outlet from the top of the cylinders leading to the outer air may be reduced in area or throttle-d and the live steam inlet pipes and ports leading from the boiler and to the bottom of cylinder enlarged as shown so that the pistons move simultaneously when steam is admitted under tl em and do not rise one utter the other, as is often the case when steam isacmitted slowly, unless complicated and expensive equalizing devices are employed. The use of this valve renders unnecessary these auxiliary equalizing devices thus rendering the compress simpler and more ellicient since these mechanisms are hard to adjust and are easily disarranged.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In cotton compress of the class described, the combination with upper and lower platens and means for moving them relatively, of two movable plates for pressing the sides of a bale located between the platens, separate cylinders and pistons for operating said plates, respectively, and valve means tor simultaneously admitting motive fluid to said cylinders, simultaneously exhausting it from said cylinders, and simultaneously bringing the ends of said cylinders into communication, whereby the plates are caused to move toward and from each other simultaneously.

2. In a cotton compress of the class described, the combination with upper and lower platens and means for moving them relatively, of two movable plates for pressing the sides of a bale located between the platens, separate linders and pistons for operating said p ates, respectively, and valve means for simultaneously admit-ting motive fluid into corresponding ends of said cylinders and, at the same time simultaneously opening the opposite ends of the cylinders to the exhaust, and for simultaneously cutting off the inlet and exhaust of motive fluid to the cylinders and bringing their opposite ends simultaneously into communication.

3. In a cotton compress of the class described, the combination with two platens one above the other and means for moving one of said platens vertically, of two plates for pressing the sides of a bale located between the platens, said plates being hinged to the frame of the press and adapted to move upwardly and inwardly toward each other, vertically arranged cylinders having pistons connected to move said plates, respectively, suitable piping for motive fluid connected to opposite ends of said cylinders and to a source of supply and an exhaust pipe, and a valve means for controlling the motive fluid to admit fluid beneath the two pistons simultaneously to move the plates toward each other to compress the sides of a bale, said valve means being adapted to simultaneously establish communication between the lower and upper ends of the cylinders to permit the pistons and their connected side plates to descend by gravity simultaneously to normal position.

at. In a cotton compress of the class described, the combination with upper and lover platens and means for moving them relatively, of two movable plates for pressing the sides of a bale located between the platens, separate cylinders and pistons for operating said plates, respectively, and valve means for simultaneously admitting motive fluid to said cylinders, at corresponding ends and at the same time simultaneously exhausting steam from said cylinders through passages restricted in size relatively to the steam inlet passages.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

ROBT. D. WEBB. 

